In the medical and dental fields, it is desirable to provide relative quick sterilizing of surgical instruments and the like. Many systems commonly use steam to provide this requisite sterilization. Some of these systems, however, require large spaces and are cumbersome to transport.
To address this issue, portable or “table-top” systems, such as one described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,893, have been developed. Such systems may include a portable holding device configured to receive a removable sealable pressure vessel. Steam is then injected by other portions of the device into the pressure vessel to carry out the sterilization of instruments held by the vessel. There are drawbacks, however, present in devices of this type. For example, insertion and removal of the vessel into the holding device may require alignment of corresponding connectors on the vessel and the other portions. These connectors may include those providing entry and evacuation of steam respectively into and from the vessel. Alignment of the connectors may not always be easily achieved, thereby leading to bending and damaging of the connectors. Such damage reduces the life expectancy of the vessel and/or holding device.
Another drawback of devices of the type described above lies in the relatively complex access to the sterilized tools and instruments held by the vessel. Access may, for example, require a two-hand operation to disassemble portions and access an interior portion. Access may further require a relatively large space on a table surface or the like to support the two portions once they have been separated.
Yet another drawback of devices of the type described above relates to replacement of a seal or gasket intended to prevent steam from escaping the vessel. Devices of this type may include a thin, elongate gasket tightly retained in a channel on an interior surface of the vessel. When a user determines that the gasket needs replacement, replacement requires a somewhat complex and/or time-consuming procedure to remove the gasket from the channel and subsequently insert a new one.
Moreover, known devices of the type described above may need to accept vented cassettes that a specific set of instruments, such that instruments required for a particular use can be sterilized and kept together. Cassettes may be vented via apertures on opposed top and bottom walls as well as on opposed lateral walls, such that steam can flow multidirectionally into and out of the cassettes. Conventional devices, however, may provide an inadequate flow of steam into the cassettes. These devices may, for example, provide a very close fit between the cassette and the vessel holding it, such that flow of steam is only permitted through the apertures on the top and bottom walls, while not through the apertures on the lateral walls.
A portable steam sterilizing device capable of accepting and sterilizing surgical instruments and cassettes in an improved manner is therefore desirable.
Moreover, a portable steam sterilizing device that provides simpler access to the sterilized instruments and fewer maintenance considerations is similarly desirable.